Papaliʻi Asiata Fauatea Poumau was a Western Samoan politician. He served as Minister for Education between 1964 and 1967.
Biography A former court interpreter and registrar in the Land and Titles Court,Criticism Of Selections For New Cabinet Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1964, p57 Poumau worked in the Western Samoa Public Service Commission,Papalii Poumau Pacific Islands Monthly, March 1973, p125 later becoming Resident Commissioner of Savaiʻi. In 1958 he became the first Samoan to represent New Zealand at the South Pacific Commission.People Pacific Islands Monthly, October 1958, p5 He was made an MBE in the 1961 New Year Honours. In February 1961 he was appointed as the Samoan administrator of the referendum on independence and a new constitution.Dusan J. Djonovich (1973) Resolutions Adopted by the General Assembly: 1960-62, p540
After retiring from the civil service, he contested the Faʻasaleleaga No. 2 constituency in the 1964 general elections, defeating incumbent MLA Tuilagi Simi by 68 votes to 63.Samoan election results by constituency 1964–2016 Samoa Election Results Database Following the elections, he was surprisingly appointed Minister for Education by Prime Minister Fiame Mataʻafa. However, he lost his seat in the 1967 elections,Mata'afa will lead independent Western Samoa for third term Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1967, p9 losing to Leilua Iuliano by 78 votes to 64. He ran again in the 1970 elections, but finished fourth out of five candidates with only eleven votes.
Poumau died in New Zealand in the early 1970s.
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